


Study Break

by youdont_say



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc
Genre: Accidental Confession, First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, Makoto Hates Math, mutual feelings, slight angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-15
Updated: 2020-10-15
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:09:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,502
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27027112
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/youdont_say/pseuds/youdont_say
Summary: Byakuya is stressed out of his mind, and decides to stray from the traditional Togami work ethic.
Relationships: Naegi Makoto/Togami Byakuya
Comments: 14
Kudos: 207





	Study Break

**Author's Note:**

> Hi!! I haven’t written in about a week and a half, and I wanted to write a oneshot to get back on my feet! I’m SO happy with the way this turned out. I hope you all enjoy it! 💞

Byakuya Togami was exhausted, to say the least. The constant pressure to be on the very top of his studies was paired was with the fact that he was quite literally next in line to run a multi-billion dollar company. Saying the blond had big shoes to fill was a gross understatement. If it wasn’t one thing, it was another. He was surprised he hadn’t crumbled under the pressure yet, but the heir didn’t have any room to crack. He had been the one to surpass his siblings, and giving up that title was not an option. Running his nearly frozen digits through his thick blond hair, Byakuya took a deep breath before abruptly slamming his hand down on the desk. The loud smack of his palm on the hardwood echoed through the large study. Togami allowed his eyes to drift to the crackling fireplace beside him, fixating on the vibrant flames. They seemed to dance around, catching Byakuya’s attention for longer than he would like to admit. 

The heir’s slender fingers had almost become numb from the death grip he had on his pen. As Togami reviewed his textbook for what felt like the millionth time, all of the words on the page seemed to mush together. He couldn’t pick out singular terms or sentences anymore. The blond huffed as his index finger and thumb slipped underneath his eyeglasses. He pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to regain any sort of vision. As Byakuya gave his glasses a gentle nudge, the words on the page still failed to make sense. Observing his surroundings, the heir realized the sun had completely set. It was that dreaded time of year where the sky was pitch black by the time 5pm rolled around. The night was definitely young, but could he afford to take a break at this point? Togami was close to collapsing, emotionally that is. Luckily, his body was able to withstand most of the shit he faced. But the heir was mentally exhausted. 

Byakuya studied the flickering flames for a few moments before reluctantly coming out of his chair. Maybe a stroll would clear his head. Although, a small part of the blond knew he couldn’t become too dependent on these little outings, or he would never be able to stay focused for more than an hour without needing to walk a couple of laps. His wool coat was conveniently draped over the coat-hanger by the entrance to his study. Snatching it off it’s hook, he draped the thick fabric around his body. Byakuya slipped his thin leather gloves onto his hands, grabbing them out of his coat pocket. The heir shot the giant painting of his father a glance, shuddering. He was always looming over Byakuya’s shoulder, wasn’t he? He would most likely be scolded for talking a break while tending to his work. But.. he needed one. Togami simply needed some time to rest. Realistically, the only break he got was with Makoto.

Nothing felt mandatory with the brunette. Not everything was a competition, they could just indulge in each other’s presence. Byakuya felt no pressure to be perfect, or complete every task that was laid out in front of him. The only requirement was to have a good time. There was never a dull moment with the other boy, he really was Togami’s rock. Even if he hadn’t told him that fact quite yet. The shorter boy was truly an enigma. Green eyes that can read anyone like a book, capable of piercing right through your soul. Yet they never seemed to do that. Makoto’s eyes were gentle and inviting. You could never feel uneasy around Naegi, not if you tried. Byakuya was sure that his smile was a gift from above. Flashing his top row of teeth, they were nearly blinding. Not necessarily from shine, more so the raw impact of what his smile could do to the heir.

Makoto Naegi’s smile could light up a room, for lack of a better term. The blond had been attempting to push down the fluttering in his chest whenever Makoto displayed any sort of positive emotion. It gave Byakuya the will to be the reason for that positivity. The heir was afraid of losing himself over the infatuation, but he never slipped away. Whenever they were together, it played out better than Togami could ever imagine.

Making his way down the long corridor of his home, Byakuya’s mind had set up camp near Naegi’s freckled face, once again. The place it had wandered to for the past couple of months. However, the brunette’s beauty wasn’t the only thing that had Togami head over heels. It was his optimistic, strange and surprisingly hilarious demeanour that had the blond gawking. 

The mental tornado that was Makoto Naegi had almost completely taken Byakuya away from his previous thoughts. Almost. The harsh reality of the heir’s situation seemed to slap him across the face as one of the maids popped out from around the corner. The exchange between the two of them was short, as Togami’s patience was wearing thin. The boy needed an escape from that stuffy room he was trapped in. The heir could leave at any time of course, but he couldn’t.. go. Completely abandoning the mountain of work piling up would be incredibly irresponsible, and certainly not something the next head of the Togami company could do. Although, nothing Byakuya ever wanted to do lined up with what he should be doing. The blond needed to tend to business, worry about finances and remain at the top of his class. Not to mention athletics and the tireless hours Byakuya has spent training. For no good reason, other than to be the best. 

All he wanted to do was relax, with some company that is. 

When the maid finally gave in, she excused herself with a quick nod. 

“Stay safe, young master.” 

The boy was grateful she eventually threw in the towel, leaving him to wallow in self-pity. However the feeling of being a ticking time bomb wasn’t exactly pleasant. Byakuya headed towards the front doors with haste, he couldn’t bear the environment for much longer. The Togami estate was massive, rooms for various unnecessary purposes were scattered around the mansion. Given the circumstances, the heir assumed he would be able to find peace somewhere. Boy was he wrong. No matter where Byakuya dragged his weight, it felt just as overwhelming as his study. The only place he could find refuge was in someone else. He could truly be himself around Makoto, unapologetically. Naegi never had these ridiculously high expectations for him, the brunette just enjoyed his company. Of course the feeling was mutual, maybe even to the point where Byakuya was falling.

Maybe. 

His mind always found a way to incorporate Naegi into everything he was doing. When the heir was reading, his glasses slipped to the edge of the nose as a result of the odd position his head was in. Byakuya found himself wishing the boy would push his glasses back into position. Additionally, he didn’t just want Makoto to be by his side while he read. The more time the pair spent together, the more Togami longed for the other to be around. When he wasn’t studying the same material until he perfected it, Byakuya’s fingers danced to his phone. Their text conversations had become quite frequent by that point. If they weren’t out for coffee, walking around or partners for a project, they were typing their sorrows away. There was never any awkward tension between them, physically or over text. The two of them had learned a lot about each other when the heir finally decided to swallow his pride. 

Nearing the doors to the mansion, the butler standing guard immediately flipped the switch without a word. The blond stood patiently, scanning the large ‘T’ engraved on the wooden door. When the light from the moon slipped through the crack of the doors, Byakuya took it upon himself to push the doors open the rest of the way. His butler cocked a brow.

“Young master?”

Togami halted, slowly slipping his hands off the doors. He turned his head to face Pennyworth, face contorting into a small frown. The heir prayed he wouldn’t run to his father, spilling everything he knew about Byakuya’s little outing.

“It’s chilly, I suggest you take a scarf.” Pennyworth smirked, seeming to pull a piece of fabric out of thin air.

The blond let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. Expression beginning to soften, he graciously accepted the scarf. Byakuya gave him a nod before heading out once more. The doors were fully open by now, giving him free reign to step right out. There was a rush of adrenaline upon stepping out of the house, although he wasn’t really breaking any rules. Togami was allowed to do pretty well whatever he wanted to, but he couldn’t. There was unspoken rules in his home. He was to attend to his duties, and neglect any sort of selfish desires to sit idly while there is work to be done. There was always work to be done. Swinging one end of the scarf behind his shoulder, Byakuya ran his fingers through the fabric. It was unbelievably soft, but much too big for just one person. The heir was tall and well built, but this type of length for a scarf almost seemed unnecessary. He tried his best to push the thought of sharing with Makoto out of his head.

But why?

Why was he stomping on these feelings every time they arose?

Beginning to walk down the long strip of pavement, Byakuya decided to indulge in his thoughts. He deserved that much. The seal for breaking silent rules was ripped off the moment he walked out of his study, and there was definitely no stopping him now. It was about damn time Togami started thinking for himself. And more importantly, what he wanted. As he dialled the number, the heir was certain about his choice. The quiet ringing on the other line was agonizing. It felt like eons before someone finally picked up.

“Hello?”

“Makoto,” Byakuya started, trying to regain a little composure.

He sounded panicked, desperate almost. Togami was so close to breaking, he couldn’t bring himself to care anymore.

“Are you okay? You sound like you’re out of breath.” 

“Can you meet me somewhere?”

The words were tumbling out of his mouth, far beyond his control. Byakuya seemed to be running on auto-pilot, the sheer desire to be free that had been pushed down for so long was finally bubbling to the surface. 

“Uhm, what time is it?”

“It’s only around five. I’ll let you copy my homework tomorrow morning if you haven’t finished.” 

“You would do that for me?”

For him, and for him alone. 

“Yes, I would. You won’t hear me say this again, but I want to see you succeed. 

There was a silence on the other end, it made Byakua’s stomach flip. He was a Togami for Christ’s sake, overthinking wasn’t something on the agenda, ever. 

“That’s so sweet! I’ve been having a hard time with the work lately.. you always know what to say!” 

The blond was gobsmacked. He couldn’t understand why on earth the brunette had given him such a high compliment. Sweet wasn’t exactly a word you would use to describe Byakuya Togami. Cold, distant and aloof seemed more fitting if anything. Regardless, he could feel his heart pounding rapidly in his ears. The heir was.. grinning. From ear to ear. He couldn’t recall the last time a genuine smile had creeped up on his face. However if he could, Byakuya had a sneaking suspicion it would be from a similar occurrence. 

“Enlighten me. What areas have you been struggling on specifically?” 

A quick subject change to avert any sort of attention away from the compliment that had made Byakuya so flustered. 

Flustered? 

“Math is a kick in the nuts..” Makoto began, breathing out the last couple of words.

Byakuya snickered. This wasn’t exactly a new habit, but a rare one. He had been conditioned to laugh politely, to lift the spirits of whatever selfish soul was trying to joke his way into the Togami fortune. A genuine outburst of positive emotion felt so comfortable. Although he wasn’t able to show that side of himself to a lot of people. Well, a lot of people is an overstatement. All of the positive things in the heir’s life always seemed to point straight at Neagi. The clueless, yet intelligent luckster who had somehow found a home in Byakuya’s busy mind. He was everywhere, invading every single one of the blond’s duties. If he wasn’t wishing the shorter boy could be by his side, he was foolishly daydreaming about their time spent together. Makoto made him careless, made him soft. If it had been any other soul, Togami would have angrily pushed the thoughts away and insulted them until they left him alone. That was certainly much easier. Not for him, but for whoever made the mistake of wanting to learn more about Byakuya. 

“I certainly don’t blame you for not understanding. I don’t think the teacher quite understands the material.” 

“Yeah! Like she was explaining it and no one else got it either. I asked Sayaka and she just shrugged.” Naegi vented, huffing a little.

Togami picked up the faint sound of a rattling pencil in the background of Makoto’s vent. 

“You aren’t still working on it, are you?” 

“It’s my fault for not getting it done, I’ve just been picking away at it for a few hours. The tv keeps distracting me.” The brunette sighed from the other line, groaning a little as he caved in.

“Makoto, come see me.” 

“Oh that’s right! I’m sorry, my brain is all over the place.”

There was that smile, uninvited but not unwelcome.

“That’s alright. How does the fountain outside of the main building sound?” 

“That sounds great! Thank you for letting me copy. I don’t think I can get through this tonight.”

“It’s not a problem, truth be told I was having difficulties myself.”

It was quite authentic of Byakuya to admit he was struggling, to someone he thought highly of no less. As they spent more time together, the two of them had slowly let the other in on happenings in their lives. The blond had finally found someone he could trust, fully. He would let the brunette in on everything, all in good time of course. Makoto out of all people could give him sympathy. 

“Man, you too? You know what, I’m really glad you called me. I needed a break, and I’m excited to see you now!” 

Byakuya’s heart was a few beats away from bursting in his chest. Naegi was looking forward to seeing him, even if it was for something as simple as a study break. He was the one the brunette wanted to see. It was wonderfully validating to hear something so.. genuinely kind.

“Likewise, I’ll see you soon Makoto.”

“Yeah! I love you!” 

Togami’s quickening pace came to a screeching halt at the end of his driveway. His heart dropped into the pit of his stomach, and his mouth immediately dried up. The heir had absolutely no words. He was absolutely floored, and had no idea how to respond. Makoto loved him. And he let it slip. Byakuya lost his train of thought when it all jumbled together into a giant mush of emotions. It was incredible of course, but the confusion seemed to wreck his brain. Why? It made no sense for Makoto to love Byakuya. The blond was snappy and abrasive, the boy’s polar opposite. And yet they had grown so close overtime, never wanting to be away from the other. It lined up perfectly in a way, but not like this. A humiliating bomb being dropped over the phone. Although Byakuya felt the same, there were no words coming out of his mouth. Not a thing. The silence was short lived, followed by a horrified gasp on Makoto’s end. Togami stood his ground and listened to the empty ring of the phone as the brunette hung up.

He let the noise dance around in his head for almost a solid thirty seconds before coming to his senses. Hanging up the phone, Byakuya’s surroundings mushed together. The blond was past his breaking point, but this was a positive occurrence. Or at least it was going to be. Another point of interest, one that Togami wanted to indulge in. Already pushing away a truckload of emotions, this one was the icing on the cake. It was so pure, and wholesome. All the heir craved was the brunette boy who was most likely planning an apology in his arms. Byakuya needed him just as much as he wanted him. Everything was alright with the other boy, none of Togami’s problems were worth noting when he was with Makoto. Any pressing issue vanished into thin air when Naegi flashed him that million dollar smile. Especially if Byakuya was the cause of that smile. The blond blinked a few times, taking a moment to recall the situation.

Togami was standing doltishly at the end of his driveway, nowhere near school grounds. 

And just like that, Byakuya found his footing once more. His exceptionally tall figure carried him places a lot faster than the average person, something Togami found himself being quite grateful for in situations like this. He was a natural runner, every cross-country coach in Japan could recognize a pair of legs like Byakuya’s. Perfect for jogging, and in this situation, speed-walking towards a high school. The heir’s only company on his walk was the dangling scarf over his shoulder, finding it’s way across his chest every few minutes. The blond found himself getting annoyed very quickly with the giant string of wool, constantly flipping it behind him. Maybe it was the irritability from stress, especially in this situation. Togami knew exactly what he was going to do when he saw the brunette, and yet his mind still pondered the infamous ‘what if’s’. As one of the pillars of the main building poked out of the never-ending line of trees, Byakuya’s heart began to race once more.

He hadn’t noticed the pace slowed down. The blond counted his steps across the brick trail in an attempt to calm himself down, but to no avail. The splashing of the fountain set the reality in stone for Byakuya. One of the many street lamps stripped across campus was lit, illuminating the shivering boy standing underneath it. There was Makoto, in all his glory. Togami fought the urge to sprint up to the boy and.. 

And what?

He needed to do something. He wanted to do something. What he could possibly do to express his feelings was beyond the heir, but the overwhelming urge to be close to the brunette was consuming him. Swallowing his pride, Byakuya took a few loud strides to announce his arrival. Naegi whipped his head around, with one of the most heartbroken and fearful expressions the blond had ever seen. Makoto looked like he had just seen a ghost. Despite the circumstances, the other boy looked poetic like that. Cheap yellow light casting a low shadow across his face, Naegi looked stunning. His green eyes were dark, and filled with what could only be described as worry. His lips were slightly parted, a puff of cold air escaped from between them. Brown, unruly hair sticking out in every direction. Nothing different from the norm, but it had a classic feeling to it. Makoto’s hair was one of his most distinguishable features. And one of Byakuya’s favourites for that matter. The heir wanted to feel a strand between his fingers, playing with it until he could assure Naegi that he was safe in his arms. 

Looks aside, the atmosphere was tense. Not necessarily a negative tension, but neither wanted to break it.

However, today Byakuya had experienced a lot of new firsts and feelings. A leap of faith was almost his responsibility at that point.

“I am so sorry. I was just really excited to see you and it slipped out and-“ 

Togami took a few confident steps towards the shorter boy, inhaling sharply before slipping his slender fingers into the warmth of Naegi’s hair. Makoto was in awestruck, seeming to be at a loss for words. As Byakuya slid his chilly hands through his brown locks, the other boy shivered a bit. Wether it was from nerves or the cold, the blond couldn’t say. Togami was gently caressing the brunette’s face by then, looking down at him. The heir was grateful he couldn’t see himself in that moment, the resemblance between him and a googly-eyed schoolgirl was probably uncanny. Not a word was uttered between the two of them, a comfortable understanding smoothed over the silence with it’s warmth. Byakuya didn’t feel so alone anymore, and his intuition told him Makoto felt the same. As the heir tried to calculate his next move, Naegi interrupted his thoughts.

“I meant it.” 

There was that smile again. The flashing of his teeth that was bound to give Togami all sorts of wrinkles. The smile that he only wanted to show the boy standing in front of him.

“I was hoping you did.” 

“I just didn’t want to make things weird, and you’re so hard to read sometimes-“ 

Without a second thought, Byakuya cut him off by planting his lips on Makoto’s. They simultaneously let out a surprised gasp, the blond wasn’t expecting it either. It was like a switch flipped in Togami’s head, pure instinct kicked in. Byakuya’s heart seemed to fall into place again after dropping into his stomach. The heir began to doubt himself, but the pessimistic affluent prodigy was proven wrong by a pair of slender arms snaking their way around his waist. Perhaps they should have gone around his neck instead, to pull him closer to Makoto. It was impulsive, sudden and completely out of turn. It was perfect. As Naegi’s lips parted, a sense of security took Byakuya by storm. There was safety with the other boy, he found peace in his touch. Makoto was his escape, but so far from just an escape. The brunette leaned forwards on his toes to make things easier for Togami, which in turn made his heart melt.

Makoto Naegi was far from a simple distraction from his shitty home-life. He was the person he could trust with anything, wether it be a secret or a guilty pleasure. Byakuya could be utterly stupid around the brunette, no questions asked. It was safe to be himself. 

The feeling of Makoto’s lips was so much better than Byakuya ever could have imagined. Soft, full and plush, they were warm and inviting. His mouth fit against Togami’s like a puzzle piece. The way Naegi kissed him would be something the blond would never be able to forget. Passionate and slow, the brunette kissed him with relief. There must have been a massive burden lifted off his shoulders upon realizing Byakuya felt the same. The two felt weightless, the heir wouldn’t be surprised if they had been floating. Togami kissed back with reassurance. He wanted to tell a story without speaking. He poured all of the pent up feelings into that kiss, as if it was his last chance. The sneaky glances towards the lucky student as he worked away on some meaningless project. Memorizing his coffee order, just for future reference. Paying attention just when the boy thought everyone had forgotten about him. All of the little things went into their embrace, as well as the big ones.

The big one being Makoto’s accidental declaration of love. For the first time in his life, Byakuya was grateful for a mistake.

The two reluctantly pulled away, immediately opening their mouths for air. Learning to breathe through your nose will definitely take practice.

“Practice?” Makoto panted, tilting his head to the side. 

They were both glowing, both emotionally and under the soft shine of the street light. 

“I didn’t..”

“You said that out loud.” The brunette teased, scanning Togami’s bewildered expression.

There he was, vocalizing his thoughts without any sort of filter.

Naegi sighed gently, tilting his head downwards. He pressed his forehead against Byakuya’s chest, squeezing his waist a little tighter than before. His affection was certainly not one-sided, which gave the blond a boost of excitement. This wasn’t a pointless crush that would fade, Makoto was an important part of his life, and would continue to be a part of his life. The thought made the wheels in Togami’s head begin to turn. Future meetups with a similar outcome flashed through his mind. Or to put it simply, date ideas. 

Byakuya brought a gentle hand to meet Naegi’s head, feeling the brunette’s stubborn ahoge betwixt his fingers. 

“I love you too. And I wouldn’t mind practicing with you.” The heir hummed, slipping his free hand into the small of Makoto’s back.

Lulling his head backwards, the shorter boy gazed up at Byakuya. Their height difference wasn’t anything special, but it definitely gave the blond a better view of Makoto’s face. 

“I want to do things with you.” 

Byakuya puffed his cheeks full of air.

“Wait no that came out wrong!” Naegi attempted to defend himself.

It was far too late, the heir was cackling to his heart’s content. Much to the other’s dismay. 

“Okay what I meant,” 

Togami came down from his temporary high to look back at his.. Makoto. 

“I want to go on dates with you. And I want to study with you and tell you that everything’s gonna be okay. I want to believe in you when you can’t believe in yourself. I want to be with you.” 

The fuzzy feeling in his chest still remained, and tripled in size when Naegi finished his sentence. It was everything Byakuya could have asked for and more.

“I’d quite like that. I want to take you out to the nicest places in the area, and order you the best food money can buy. I am going to shower you in all of the reassurance and support you could ever need.” Togami began, drifting his eyes towards the bubbling fountain.

“Although, you do need to dress formally to attend a concert hall.” 

The brunette’s eyes widened at his suggestion. His face twisted into a gleaming smile, eyes scrunching from excitement. 

“I’d love to go to a concert hall! But you know you don’t have to take me to all of these expensive places to prove anything.”

“Although I don’t have to, that would be my way of showing you a good time.” 

The smile returned to both of their faces.

“Touché.” 

As the two of them giggled a little, Byakuya seemed to forget whatever he was so worked up about earlier. It probably wasn’t worth his time anyway.

**Author's Note:**

> IM SORRY I DIDN’T MEAN TO WRITE ANOTHER ONESHOT TO PROCRASTINATE WRITING THE LAST CHAPTER OF GUILT, PLAIN AND SIMPLE. IT’S NOT MY FAULT I SWEAR.
> 
> Every single one of you means so much to me. Any kind of support is greatly appreciated, I love you all! 💕


End file.
